State police move Montville resident trooper, will hire replacement

Montville — State police transferred Sgt. Marty Martinez Friday from his position as Montville’s resident trooper to a patrol sergeant position in Colchester, according to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

Department spokesman Scott DeVico said through email that Sgt. James Smith, of Troop D, which is headquartered in Danielson, will begin serving as Martinez’s interim replacement in Montville this week. He wrote that state police planned to advertise for Martinez’s position to find a permanent replacement.

“After discussions with Montville leadership, it was determined that the Resident State Trooper position for the Town of Montville needed to go in a new direction,” DeVico said in an emailed statement Monday.

Montville Mayor Ronald McDaniel said Tuesday that he was notified on Friday of the transfer of Martinez, who he said was a contract employee of the town as part of the resident state trooper program.

“It is the state police’s responsibility to do the assignments of their personnel,” said McDaniel. He declined to comment on the role of discussions between state police and town leadership in the decision.